The Dalai Lama Calls For A United Humanity

He then says wiser words by cutting through layers of bickering and arguing that a systematic approach is needed to uphold humanistic values.

“We need a systematic approach to promote humanistic values ​​of unity and harmony. If we start now, there is hope that this century will be different from the last. It is in everyone’s interest. So let us work for peace within our families and in society, and do not expect help from God, Buddha or governments.”

Again, while cutting through all the illusory tactics of the blame game, he says that most of the problems are superficial. Today, more than ever, we need to unite and agree on values ​​and ethics so that we can all live in a safe world where every person is protected, has rights and can live a life of dignity. This is the idea behind the landmark 1948 United Nations document on human rights as a recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family as the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world. world. As the Dalai Lama says:

“Moreover, the problems we face today are the result of superficial differences over religious beliefs and nationalities. We are one people.”

The Dalai Lama has also called for agreement on a universal moral code independent of religion and national differences:

“All the world’s major religions, with their emphasis on love, compassion, patience, tolerance and forgiveness, can and do promote inner values. But the reality of today’s world is that anchoring ethics in religion is no longer adequate. That is why I am becoming increasingly convinced that the time has come to find a way of thinking about spirituality and ethics that goes beyond just religion.”

We are all one race

The idea that every person is equal is something that we all know in our hearts to be true. Unfortunately, the media does not report all incidents of violence equally. The shootings in Paris and Orlando will not receive any media attention for weeks and months, but violence and shootings in Sudan or Palestine are barely mentioned. If we truly want to enter a new era of humanity and not return to the dark times of unimaginable violence and horror, we must protect the lives of all our brothers and sisters around the world. To begin, we must accurately portray and represent the victims of violence and suffering around the world.

Violence is violence. Terror is terror. It would not be good for any American to see airstrikes across Orlando destroy entire towns and cities that claim to bring the people or organizations behind the shooting to justice. But that is exactly what happened in Syria and other places. The images of destroyed cities due to NATO carpet bombing are terrible and the causes are insurmountable. This is not acceptable and should be viewed as a stupid act of violence and terror, regardless of the justification and rationalization for such violence. Let us agree that we cannot eradicate violence and terrorism.

We may not agree on religion or what started the violence or what or who God is, but we must agree on some basic human values, such as violent aggression is wrong, torturing people is wrong, taking people’s homes is wrong, whether these homes are taken by Israeli occupiers, corrupt banks or bombed by foreign countries. We all have human dignity and need a place to live. Let’s start there.

This is a huge discussion that smarter people than myself have tried to have, but it’s a discussion we need to have as a collective to move forward as a human race and values ​​we need to agree on. Moral relativism claims that there is no absolute right and wrong, but these discussions should be left to the philosophical debates in the classrooms and should not end up in our policies.

A shared vision for humanity

Ethics is not a philosophical luxury or a religious system, but a human necessity. A real society is based on shared values ​​and a shared vision of the future. Let us, as John Lennon said, ‘imagine all men living in peace’. or as Michael Jackson says – “liberate the world, make it a better place for you and for me and for all humanity.” Compassion for all beings is needed more than ever with systems and leaders that express that compassion and united humanity. As the Dalai Lama says:

“It is in everyone’s interest to pursue those actions that lead to happiness and to avoid those that lead to suffering. And because our interests are inextricably linked, we are forced to accept ethics as the indispensable interface between my desire to be happy and yours.”

I don’t want to take sides or blame anyone; that is the beginning of the problem and what keeps us entrenched in war and violence. In essence, the ‘othering’ of people is the problem. Seeing another group of people as intrinsically separate from ourselves – the foreigners, the aliens, the different people and, unfortunately, humans can easily fear and react to differences. But if you value living in a peaceful world and recognize our shared humanity, you must see the same equality in all people. The same smile, the same desire to be happy and free and the same blood that is shed when we bleed. We must start seeing our sameness and not our differences.

Lives matter, black, white, Asian and Arab. All lives of children matter and all lives of elders matter, everyone! Until we can see the equality and shared humanity in every person on the planet, there will be justification for the divide between rich and poor, between religions and between nations. It is time that we hold ourselves, our media and our representatives accountable to uphold humanity’s bold start in 1948 of a shared vision of peace and freedom and deliver on the common sense of the Human Rights Declaration. Let’s elect compassionate leaders. No excuses, no distortions and no justifications, let’s agree that all lives matter and move ourselves and our institutions towards a peaceful, loving and humane way of living in the world.

Chad Foreman is the founder of The Way of Meditation and has been teaching meditation since 2003, determined to bring authentic meditation practices into the lives of millions of people in the modern world. Chad is a former Buddhist monk who lived in a retreat hut for six years and studied and practiced meditation full-time. He now has over twenty years of experience teaching meditation. Chad likes regularly
Meditation retreats on the Sunshine Coast, Australia
Online meditation coachingprovides three online programs – The 21 Day Meditation Challenge to gradually guide people from the basic principles of mindfulness and relaxation to profound states of consciousness.
Breathwork to help manage stress and go deeper into meditation and
The bliss of inner fire This is a Buddhist tantric method to clear energy blockages and connect with the clear light of bliss. You can also get Chad’s free ebook now Insights on the go.